TRAVEL: Rail delays expected to hit Sussex services

Southern Rail is warning anyone planning to travel by rail tomorrow (Sunday) to plan ahead as engineering works and adverse weather are expected to cause significant delays on its network.

Following the issuing of a Met Office Yellow warning for rain earlier this week, Southern says it expects all its services to face disruption and delays from Sunday (April 29) until Tuesday (May 1).

A Southern spokesman said: “Rainfall of up to 30 - 50 mm and winds of up to 50mph are expected.

“This means that some services may have the potential to be delayed, cancelled or altered at short notice.

“Network Rail are proactively working overnight and throughout the day to ensure pumps and drainage in place are in full working condition as well as ensuring that enhanced checks are taking place in areas that have higher risk of tree fall and landslip to prevent potential disruption to the rail network.”

Network Rail engineers are replacing at set of points between Purley and Gatwick Airport from 11pm this evening (Saturday) until 09.30am on Sunday morning. Southern says this will affect a large number of services between London, Gatwick Airport and Brighton.

Delays are also expected on the Thameslink service between Brighton and Bedford which will be running a reduced service from this evening (Saturday) into Sunday morning.

Some Northbound services from Brighton will be terminating at Three Bridges and, due to the reduced number of lines available for trains to run on, some services may be delayed at Redhill waiting for trains travelling in the other direction to pass.

Southbound services from London towards Three Bridges and Brighton will run as normal, Southern say.

There will also be a heavily reduced service between London Victoria, Gatwick Airport and Brighton on Sunday morning.

Gatwick Express services will not run on Sunday morning, and the first Gatwick Express service from London Victoria will be the 9.30am departure which arrives at Gatwick Airport at 10.03am.

Additional services will be running from London Victoria towards East Grinstead, and replacement bus services will run between both Purley and Gatwick Airport and East Grinstead and Gatwick Airport to help passengers connecting with early morning flights.

At London Blackfriars there will be no services between London Blackfriars, Gatwick Airport and Brighton until after 9.20am.